Antifriction-bearing.



Noi 670,95I.

Patented Apr. 2, 190|.

S. S. EVELAND. Aullfmcnow BEARING.

'Application led Nov. 9, 1.900.; (No Modal.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

Y mi No. 670,9 5L Patanted Apr. V2, I90L` S. S. EVELMIIII.-

ANTIFRIGTIDN BEARING.

(Application led Nov. 9. 1900.'. (No Nudel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.4

lhtirrn Sterns rrrcE.

Partnr ANTIFRICTION-BEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 670,951, dated April 2,1901. Application filed November 9, 1900. Serial No. 85,893. (No model.)

T0 all whom, t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL S. EVELAND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAntifriction- Bearings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to rollerbearings of the class inwhich rollers are interposed between a shaft and a hub or casingsurrounding the shaft. As an example of this class of roller-bearings Iwould refer to Letters Patent of the United States No. 602,047, datedApril 5, 1898, granted to Charles B. Hebron. This patent shows aroller-bearing in which rollers of uniform diameter from end to end areinterposed between a shaft or axle-arm and a hub or casing, The rollersare disposed at equal distances apart .around the shaft and are held inplace at opposite ends by roller-supports, consisting of rings providedwith laterally-projecting lugs having sockets between them into whichthe ends of the rollers project. In each rolleresocket a ball isarranged at the end of each roller and axially in line with the roller.The Hobron roller-hearing th us constructed has been extensively usedwith success, but in the practice of the invention I have discovered`that for some kinds of rollerbearings the construction may be improvedin such manner that the rollers may be arranged much closer togetherthan in the prior construction, and the tendency for the rollers to dropout from their sockets after long use may be avoided. I have found alsothat the Hobron construction may be so modified as to materiallyincrease the length of the rollers.

According to my present invention, instead of arranging the ends of therollers in sockets and causing their peripheries to bear upon the wallsof the sockets I in one form of my invention form recesses in the endsof the rollers into which project studs carried by rings adapted tosurround a shaft or journal. Between the inner ends of the studs and theinner ends of the sockets I interpose balls which receive end thrust torelieve undue wear on the ends of the rollers and prevent friction whichwould otherwise occur if the ends of the rollers came in direct contactwith plane or frictionless surfaces. A single ball is arranged in eachsocket and is disposed in the axial line of the roller and in the axialline of the stud which projects into the recess. Instead of formingrecesses in the ends of the rollers and placing the studs ou rings orannular supports recesses may be formed in the annular supports andstuds formed on the 6o rollers, a single hall being arranged in eachrecess, as before. By these arrangements the rollers may be placed muchmore closelyT together than in the prior construction and the tendencyfor the rollers to drop out, incident to the Wear on the lugs betweenthe rollers in the Hobron device, is avoided. The annular supports maybe made quite thin and the rollers may extend close to the inner facesof the supports, and thus the rollers may be 7o made materially longerthan they were in the prior construction, where they projected betweenlugs which extended from a thick annular backing.

Other features of the invention, together with the details ofconstruction, will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows a longitudinal centralsection through a roller-bearing constructed in accordance 8o with myinvention. In this instance I have shown tapered rollers arranged withinan axle-box. Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal central section through a shaftcasing or bearing embodying vmy improvements, the shaft being shown inelevation and partly broken away. Fig. 3 shows a transverse section onthe line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of an end-thrust bearingembodying my improvements, some of the parts being shown 9o in sectionthe better to illustrate details of construction. Fig. 5 is a detailView, partly in section and partlyin elevation, of an endthrust bearingembodying my improvements, showing the manner in which a shaft issupported on the bearing. Fig. 6 is a detail view, partly in elevationand partly in section', illustrating the construction of one form of myimproved antifriction-bearing. Fig. 7 is a similar view illustratingI amodification. roo Fig. S is a similar View illustrating how thebearing-studs may be cast integrally with the annular support. Fig. 9indicates how the support may be made of sheet metal with thebearing-studs struck up therefrom. Fig. 10 is a perspective View of asupporting-ring, such as shown in Fig. 9', parts being broken away inorder to illustrate details of construction. Fig. ll is a perspectiveview, with parts broken away, of a roller-bearing embodying myimprovements, illustrating particularly how the rollers may be arrangedclose together.

In Fig. l, A 'indicates part of an axle, and B the axle-arm, which is inthis instance tapered. A collar C is formedbetween the axle and theaxle-arm, and the outer end of the axle-arm is screw-threaded at b toreceive a nut D. On the innerl end of the axle-arm is secured in anysuitable Way a tapered collar E, and a similar tapered collar F issecured in any suitable way to the outer end of the axle-arm. Inasmucnas the axle-arm B is tapered and the collars E and F are likewisetapered, both interiorly and exteriorly, they may be secured in place bybeing simply driven home, the tapered axle and' the tapered openings inthe collars being suitably shaped to insure the proper positioning ofthe collars on the arm. The axle-box or journalcasing is made up of twomain parts G and H. The part G has an enlarged end or head g, having aportion g surrounding the collar C on the axle, but it is not infrictional contact therewith. There is a space between the -inside ofthe enlarged portion of the casingsection G and the outer wallof thecollar E, the inner wall g2 being tapered to accommodate the taperrollers, hereinafter' referred to., The inner end of the head gisprovided with spikes g3, which enter the wooden part of the hub, and thepart g4, which is ofreduced diameter, extends to the inner vertical wallh of the other section H of the casing. rPhe portion 4 of the section Gsurrounds a similar portion h of the section H, and both portions g4 andh are out of contact with the axle-arm. The section H of the casing isshaped somewhat similarly to the section E, but at its outer end it isprovided with screw-threads h2 on the inside to receive a nut I. Betweenthe collars E and F and the enlarged ends of the casing-sections G and Hare interposed tapered rollers J. These-rollers conform to the taperedwalls of the collars and the'casing-sections, but are so arranged thatthe casing-sections may be supported on the rollers and may revolvearound them, or the rollers, with the casing-sections, may revolvearound the collars E and F. Each roller is formed at each end with arecess or socket j, into which projects a stud 7c, attached to anannular support K. Each annular support K carries a number of studs 7c,corresponding with the number of rollers, and thestuds are suitablyinclined to correspond Withthe inclination ofv the tapered rollers. Theinner ends of the sockets are preferably tapered, as indicated,and`between the inner ends of the sockets and the inner ends of thestuds are interposedl balls L. These' are arranged in the axial line ofthe rollers and serve to hold the rollers in alinement and to take endthrust and prevent end wear. The roller-supports K are held together andheld at a suitable distance apart by means of stay-rods M,which havereduced ends m, secured in any suitable way to the roller-supports, theconstruction being such as not only to hold the roller-supi portstogether, but also to hold them at a suitable distance apart. Anysuitable number of stay-rods may be employed. There may y be one betweeneach two rollers, or only three may be necessary. l/Vhere a smallernumber of stay-rods are used, the number of rollers may becorrespondingly increased. Preferably the rollers are mounted in theirsupports, and the stay-rods'are secured before the rollers are placed onthe axle. The rollers and roller-supports at opposite ends of theaxlearm are of substantially the same construction and operate insubstantially the same Way. It will readily be understood from aninspection of the drawings how the parts of the bearing are assembled.By adjusting the nuts D and I the rollers may be moved intheir taperedsockets to take up wear.

In Fig. 2 I have shownl my improvements applied to a shaft-bearing. Thecasing N may be ofany suitable usual construction, heing made insections, as indicated, and having a central bore to receive the shaft Oand also to accommodate rollers P. In this instance the rollers are ofuniform diameter from end to end, and they are provided with recesses]`at their opposite ends, in which are arrangedy balls L. The supports Kare provided with late rally-projecting studs k, which enter therecesses in the rollers. Therollersupports are held together and held asuitable distance apart by stay-rods M. Preferably washers Q, ofleather, fiber, or other suitable material, are interposed between theouter sidesof the supports and the ends of the casing. The rollers bearon the shaft O fromv end to end and their ends come close to the innersurfaces of the-roller-supports, not, however, being in frictionalcontact therewith, as the balls L prevent the rollers from movingendwise into contact with the supports, and thus hold the rollers inproper alinement and prevent unnecessary friction.

In Figs. 2 andbI have shown a stay-rod M interposed between each tworollers, but the number of rollers may be increased by omitting some ofthel stay-rods, as indicated in Fig. ll, where only three stay-rods areemployed, and the rollers are arranged close together, side by side.

It will be observed that a single ball is employed in each socket orrecess, and that it Ibears on. the roller in the axial line thereof andon the stud in its axial line. In this way lthe sockets or recesses, aswell as the studs,

may be made-small in diameter, and there is no weight or friction on thesides of the studs whichl would tend to bend or wear them. The Weight issupported by the rollers them- IOO IIO

selves, and it is distributed along their surfaces from end to end, thefrictional contact and the strain due tothe weight being borne by therollers which transmit the weight from the shaft to the casing or fromthe casing to the shaft. The studs only receive end thrust and are ofsufficient strength therefor, even though of small diameter. It willthus be seen that the construction differs from those in which aplurality of balls are arranged around a stud within a recess in therollers, or where a plurality of balls are arranged around a studprojecting from the ends of the rollers.

While I have called the rings K rollersupports, they do not support therollers in the sense that they take the most weight or strain. Theysupport the rollers when the bearing is removed from the casing, andthey also serve to hold the rollers in proper alinement, and in thissense they are roller-supports.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I have shown how my improvements may be employed in anendthrust bearing. R indicates a vertical shaft provided with aprojection r at its lower end of reduced diameter. S indicates a housingfor the bearing. The improved bearing proper is shown in Fig. 4. Itcomprises two rings T and T', connected by stay-rods t, which areshouldered, as shown, so as to hold the rings concentrically and rigidlytogether. The rollers U are tapered and provided at opposite ends withrecesses, in each of which a ball L is arranged. Studs t' project fromthe rings and enter the recesses in the rollers. A bearing thusconstructed may be arranged in the housing and may bear upon the taperedend of the shaft R; but preferably I arrange on each side of the rollersa hard-steel washer V, which has a tapered or inclined surface on oneside corresponding` with the form of the rollers. The upper washer V(shown in Fig. 5) may be secured to the shaft R, but this is notnecessary, as frictional contact between the washer and the shaft willbe suticient to hold them together, inasmuch as the rollers so relievefriction on the opposite side of the washer that the washer will moveeasily thereon, and the shaft will move with the washer rather than moverelatively to the washer. The lower washer V rests in the bottom of thesocket of the housing and does not tend to move therein, as the rollersreadily move over its upper surface. f

Fig. 6 shows somewhat more clearly than the other figures how therollers may be constructed and how the supports may be arranged andconnected.

Fig. 7 shows a modication in which, instead of forming recesses in theends of the rollers, recesses are formed in the supports, and studs areformed on the ends of the rollers entering the supports. In Fig. 6 thestuds 7c are shown as made separate from the supports and insertedtherein.

In Fig. 8 I have indicated how the studs la may be cast integrally withthe supports, while in Fig. 9 I have shown how the supports K may bemade of sheet metal and the studs 7o stamped or struck up therefrom. Thesame arrangement is indicated more fully in Fig. l0. In every instancewhich I have indicated it will be found that provision is made foremploying rollers of maximum length which receive all the weight withoutsubjecting the supports to undue strain, and I have indicated how amaximum number of rollers may be employed, while yet employing supportsof sufficient strength to sustain any strain to which they may besubjected.

My improvements may be embodied in roller-bearings of other forms thanthose illustrated; but the different kinds of roller-bearing illustratedshow the ways now best known to me of carrying` out my invention. I havedevised other ways, and therefore do not wish to be limited to theparticular arrangements shown.

Vhat I claim as my invention isl. A roller-bearing comprising a seriesof rollers, supports at opposite ends of the rollers, studs projectinginto recesses arranged in the axial line of the rollers, and a singleball in each recess arranged in the axial line of the roller between theend of the recess and the end of the stud.

2. A roller-bearing comprising a series of rollers, each of which has asingle recess at each end, stud-carryin g rings at opposite ends of therollers, and a single ball arranged in each recess axially in line witheach roller and between the inner end of each stud and the inner end ofeach recess.

3. A roller-bearing comprising a stud-carrying ring, with the studsformed integrally therewith, a series of rollers each of which isprovided with a single recess at each end, and a single ball in eachrecess interposed between t'ne inner end of the recess and the inner endof each stud.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

SAMUEL S. EVELAND.

Witnesses:

WINFIELD S. SEARD, A. AUSTIN BUZBY.

IIO

